


A Lost Stranger

by itendswithz



Series: Slave Stiles Hale [6]
Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, No Sex, POV Derek, Pack Dynamics, Slave Stiles, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-23 22:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4895284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itendswithz/pseuds/itendswithz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alpha comes to town and a lost boy is found.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The stranger in the woods

**Author's Note:**

> The final chapter will be up by Oct. 5! This series will have one more part after this but then will go on hiatus. I'll still be writing, just not for this series. (And I'm going to be branching away from Sterek for a little bit)

_"Don't freak out," Stiles says, "but there's a man watching us."_

Derek reacts instantly, twisting his body one-hundred and eighty degrees, letting his fangs drop and flashes his eyes alpha red. He doesn’t stand since staying low to the ground provides a better vantage point in a fight.

Extending his senses, Derek pinpoints the intruder as the stranger’s scent reaches him. A heavy musk of power, animal and deep forest trees like fir, birch, pine and maple. There’s a sense of strength reverberating from the muscles barely concealed by the imposing figure's tight black t-shirt. He stands over six feet tall, making him the largest werewolf Derek has ever faced.

Derek tightens his hands into fists and focuses on the intruder as Stiles shimmies into his jeans.

Exhaling once, Derek straightens his spine, standing as tall as he can. The trespasser is taller, but now Derek doesn’t have to physically look up to meet his eyes.

“This is Hale land,” Derek enunciates. “What’s your purpose?”

The stranger chuckles, a deep sound that bounces off the trees. “Damn Derek,” he says, a hint of alpha power seeping into his voice. “You’ve grown. Suppose you don’t remember the last time we talked?”

There’s a moment of silence as Derek stares at the stranger, trying to place the face or his voice. He can feel Stiles shifting behind him, the back of his hands brushing against Derek’s lower back the only clue Stiles is doing something else. Whatever the action, it’s not Stiles caressing him. No, this is Derek’s body being in the way. 

“Of course, you were only a teenager then,” the intruder continues with a slight smirk. He knew Derek wouldn’t remember him. 

The stranger steps forward, the simple action actually placing him in the territory, setting off Derek’s alpha senses automatically.

Derek’s wolf reacts to another alpha standing on **his** land with a ferocity he can barely suppress. It takes all of his self control and thoughts of keeping Stiles safe to prevent popping his claws and roaring. Once he’s sure the urge to attack and kill has been buried again, Derek maintains eye contact on the stranger and shifts to block more of Stiles’ body.

The move earns the pair another laugh from the stranger. “Alpha Hale,” he says with a wide smile, “I’m Alpha Ennis and I’m here to renegotiate the treaty you’re mother signed with Alpha Deucalion.”

The name Deucalion invokes a memory, a time just before the fire when Derek was only 15. His mother provided asylum to a couple of werewolves running from hunters. He remembers not being allowed to listen to the discussions but since Laura was training to take over the alpha mantle, she was invited into the meetings. 

And being an older sibling, Laura had made sure to remind Derek of that privilege every chance she got.

One meeting ended with shouts loud enough to be heard over the soundproof material in his mother’s study. He remembers being outside watching his younger siblings play in the piles of fallen autumn leaves. Two of the visitors had run off into the preserve, probably to release energy and frustration, while the third alpha just walked over to where Derek was sitting and plopped down next to him.

Derek could admit to himself that he was excited to be near one of the strange alphas - finally he had a rebuttal to Laura’s comments. But he was a moody teenager and exciting things were lame. He refused to be the first one to say something and duo had spent the night not talking until his father said it was time for dinner.

Derek left the alpha outside, waiting for his friends to return. They had left before sunrise the next day.

Shaking his head of the memories, Derek further studies the man standing on the edge of Hale land.

_Could this be the same wolf who sat down next to me as three kids screamed and play-chased each other?_ Derek thinks. 

“Still creepily silent,” Ennis says with a smirk.

“Why talk when actions work,” Derek responds dropping his claws on his right hand. Stiles exhales lightly on his neck, the back of his hand brushes against the curve of Derek’s back - not a calming touching. It’s Derek’s body getting in the way again.

Ennis responds to the remark with another loud laugh and Derek can hear a rapid clicking sound from Stiles. He doesn’t have time to try to figure out what that means as the older wolf speaks again.

“Always did like how direct the Hales were,” Ennis says. 

Derek hates to do it, but he shifts his enhanced hearing from Stiles to Ennis - listening to the other’s heartbeat. He picks up a solid thump and a second more unsteady beat from behind the other alpha. Backup.

“I’m not here to fight,” Ennis continues. “I just want to make sure my borders are protected. This area has been in chaos since the fire.”

Derek suppresses the automatic flinch he has whenever anyone mentions the fire. He’s not sure if Ennis is testing him - pushing at obvious buttons to gage his response - but Derek is sure to not let any sign of weakness show.

The silence is deafening.

Derek knows he’s going to have be an active part of whatever discussion Ennis is seeking. He can’t sit on his throne in an abandoned train depot waiting for Ennis to cower to his statue. That won't work this time.

The smartest choice is to convince Ennis that the land is safe and secure, anything to stop him from seeing the pack. The wolves are still young, inexperienced. But he wants to get Stiles somewhere safe, somewhere close to Scott and the others.

A twig snaps, pulling Derek out of his thoughts. No one travels this far into the preserve and Derek wonders if Ennis was a distraction, giving the newcomers time to flank Derek and Stiles.

“I’m telling you Jax,” Lydia Martin’s voice cuts loudly through the tension. “Idris Elba would be a better James Bond than Daniel Craig.”

Derek doesn’t know why she’s this far in the woods but he takes her arrival as a blessing, more pack means a better chance at winning a fistfight.

Ennis’ right hand clenches into a fist immediately. It’s clear he didn’t sense Lydia approach. Clearer still, his words on peace were lies to judge Derek’s strength.

Derek refuses to look away as a pair of footsteps move closer and closer. He braces for Ennis’ backup to show but no one appears until Lydia and Jackson arrive, coming to a stop about 10 feet to away.

He peeks a glance to see that Jackson has angled himself to put Lydia closer to her alpha but he’s not standing in front of her. For the first time since Danny brought the couple back to Beacon Hills, Lydia is wearing flats. She’s still in a dress with an impossibly large bag hanging off her shoulder, but her muscles are loose and her feet are planted firm. It’s the same battle stance Derek’s been teaching the pack.

“Is no one going to introduce me?” Lydia says with a huff. “Ugh men. I’m Lydia Martin, Alpha Hale’s Emissary. We can discuss treaty negotiations at the house. We’re not animals.”

She turns her back on Ennis, a not-so-subtle sign that she’s not afraid of the strange alpha staring her down with a frown marring his face, brown eyes dark as he judges her.

“Stiles,” Lydia continues unhindered, “Come here and carry my bag.” 

Derek is surprised at her tone and absolutely floored when Stiles doesn’t snark back. Instead the boy walks to Lydia and takes her bag. He steps aside and behind her as she begins the long trek back to the mansion.

Derek looks back to see Jackson is still staring at Ennis. The older alpha snorts a laugh before he turns his head far right.

“Slave,” he barks.

The faint heartbeat Derek heard earlier grows closer as a pale teen wanders into view from behind a grove of trees. His blond hair falls into waves of curls covering his downtrodden face. When he reaches Ennis, he hands over a leash that’s clipped to the collar clamped tight around the teen’s neck. 

Scanning his glance down, Derek sees the boy is wearing a plain brown tunic that covers his torso and upper thighs but showcases his scabby arms and bruised legs. It’s not the first time Derek has seen a human slave with marks of ownership, but if Jackson’s sudden gasp is any indication, the rest of his pack is unaware how unusually well Stiles is treated.

Ennis grabs the leash and pulls roughly, causing the human to stumble slightly but Ennis doesn’t notice, having turned towards Derek.

“She’s a spitfire,” he grins deeply. “Let’s not keep her waiting.”


	2. Chapter 2

The walk back to the house is quiet. Lydia slows down when Ennis approached her, allowing the pair to walk side by side, arm’s length apart. She asks Ennis a series of innocuous questions to prevent any awkward pauses.

Ennis tries to ask questions about the pack or the territory, but Lydia had deftly deflected or responded in vague answers. Derek is oddly proud of her. He hadn't thought to pick an Emissary yet. Everyone was still so young and inexperienced but maybe Lydia is the perfect fit for the role.

He doesn't know who served his mother, just remembers it was a dark skinned man that always smelt like cat piss and dog breathe. He wonders if the man survived the fire and Peter or if Derek should add another person to his body count. He shies away from that thought, focusing on Ennis and his slave as the mansion comes into view.

The white paint and opened windows make the house seem more inviting than Derek remembers. He can tell the back porch has been cleared of the normal crap and the wind carries the scent of meat cooking. 

“Dinner will be ready soon,” Lydia says when she sees the wolves sniffing. “We have a smaller group tonight.”

Derek raises his eyebrow at that. He has five betas and three humans in his pack, there isn’t enough people to have a “small” gathering. Not by werewolf standings.

“Scott and his mate are visiting her parents,” Lydia says, careful not to mention the Argent girl by name. “And Danny is off with the other betas, doing who knows what," she adds with a dismissive wave.

“Does your pack leave without telling you often?” Ennis asks Derek, eyes calculating. “Seems disrespectful.”

“Oh course not,” Lydia says flipping her hair. “Everyone is still on territory. They just won’t be joining us for dinner.”

The threat is clear. Derek may not be surrounded by pack right now, but in a moment’s notice they can be here ready to defend. He’s impressed with how Lydia outmaneuvered Ennis. Didn’t reveal anything concrete, let him make his own conclusions about pack size and strength but didn’t back down.

Derek can see Jackson still staring at the slave. A gentle shoulder bump gets him to look elsewhere and he snorts once before heading into the house, Stiles trailing behind silently.

Ennis doesn’t turn from Lydia but his eyes track Jackson. “So it's just the four of us for dinner?"

Lydia pauses. Derek doesn't understand how Ennis' question could have surprised her but she recovers quickly. 

"The four of us plus Boyd and Erica," she answers, keeping her gaze on Ennis. "If we're lucky Boyd made dessert."

She nods once, a curt move but not disrespectful, before placing her hand on Derek's arm.

Ennis raises an eyebrow at where her hand lands but doesn't comment. Derek takes that as his queue and walks to building.

He doesn't like have an alpha at his back but the thought that the sooner this ends the sooner life can return to normal pushes him forward.

* * *

Dinner is awkward and stunted. Derek sits at the head of the table with Lydia on his right and Ennis on his left. The rest of the pack follows suit and sits on the right side of the table, leaving Ennis to sit alone with his slave boy.

The air is thick with tension as Ennis feeds his slave bits of meat from the steak Boyd has cooked. The boy is kneeling on the left side of the large alpha, opening his mouth for the pieces Ennis slips to him. The pack stares where the teen first sits on the floor but Ennis doesn’t seem to notice in the time it takes Lydia to start talking.

“Erica,” she says pulling the pack’s attention to her. “Please fetch a pillow for Ennis’....friend.”

“Don’t bother,” Ennis says around a lavish smirk. “The brat’s used to being on his knees.”

Ennis smirks at Derek, causing him to grin back. It feels fake but Derek’s eaten with slaves at other alpha’s feet before. It’s nothing new to Derek. He feels a little awkward with Stiles resting on his knees on Derek's right but the teen’s warmth leaking into his jeans is a pleasant sensation he’s not completely against it.

Derek can tell his pack is unsettled with Stiles sitting on the floor and not in a chair, but he can’t seem weak in front of Ennis. Human slaves have their place.

"Erica," Derek says hoping to distract everyone. "How is school?"

The words are clunky in his mouth and hang like wet paper. He almost never asks how his betas are doing academically - he leaves that to Scott who is determined to ensure everyone becomes a senior next year.

Erica raises an eyebrow but answers. "Harris is still being a dick but he's calmed down after everything," she says waving a hand. "He gave Jackson detention last week."

Jackson doesn't respond to the barb. Just keeps looking at his plate. He's only taken a few bites of the steak and pushed the peas and carrots around.

The pause grows longer until Lydia cuts in.

"Harris is just butthurt knowing how smart Jackson is," she says smiling.

Derek doesn't get the joke but he can feel Stiles smiles into his leg.

Erica scowls and the conversation is dropped.

"Ahh teen wolves," Ennis says with a smile. "I've got a couple myself. I feel your pain." The last part is directed towards Derek but the alpha can't relate. He's realizing he doesn't really know his pack. Not as well as he should.

Derek smiles and rolls his eyes to the roof. "What can you do," he says with obvious false cheer.

Ennis seems to buy it though since he huffs one of those little laughs he does.

The responding silence is oppressive and alien to the pack usual dinners. Derek hadn’t realized it before, but he’s used to overhearing Erica and Allison telling Lydia the many methods on how to stab a werewolf without getting clawed while Danny and Jackson egg Stiles and Scott on in their endless feud. It’s about this time of night when he will look at Boyd and share a smile with his favorite beta.

Derek not conscious of the decision but he finds himself looking at Boyd. There must be something in the look because Boyd claps his hands once, the loud smacking echoing in the too quiet room.

“Alpha,” the teen says, “If you’ll excuse us, Erica, Jackson and I have to study.”

Derek can tell Erica is about to rebut, but he sees Jackson knee her leg before she can speak. He doesn’t know what to make of the action but he takes advantage of the opening Boyd provides. “Yes. You’re excused, go study. And take Stiles with you,” pushing his leg against Stiles just enough to force him to stand or risk toppling over. It’s inelegant but gets the job done.

He can feel Ennis re-assessing him, but Derek doesn’t look away from his betas as they piling the dishes together and walk to the kitchen area. Lydia just hands her plate to Boyd as the teen walks past her. Derek waits until he hears the stomp upstairs and into Boyd and Erica’s shared extra room before turning to Ennis.

“It’s time,” he says making sure he’s loud enough for the eavesdroppers upstairs to hear. “Negotiate.”


	3. Chapter 3

The moment of stilled silence breaks when Lydia laughs loud and light. It’s a politician's practiced laugh and the sound grates on Derek’s ears. 

“As charming as ever, Alpha,” she says with a smile that doesn’t seem forced but isn’t real. Derek’s seen the way she smiles after laughing - her ugly, little snorts turn into tiny twists of lips. It’s captivating now that it’s not a rare occurrence during pack time.

“Let’s take this into the study,” she continues, angling her body to lean slightly more to Derek than Ennis.

At the her alpha’s nod, Lydia stands and leaves the room without looking back. Ennis raises an eyebrow at that before he stands, one hand grabbing the leash his slave offers. 

“She seems to always be one step ahead,” Ennis remarks, aiming for causal. But he’s staring at Derek, and something in his stance makes Derek’s wolf restless, makes Derek want to flash claws and tear flesh. 

“She knows her place,” is all Derek says before he leads Ennis to the study, two rooms down from the dining area and directly below Erica and Boyd’s room. He knows some of the pack will retreat to the study to get some space when pack life becomes too clustered but he avoids the room - it feels too much like Peter for him. 

Lydia is waiting behind the large oak desk someone must have dragged into the room. Peter never would have had oak, he always used mahogany. 

She’s pulling out paper and pens from a drawer and placing them on the desk. Derek doesn’t know what she’s planning on doing but he just lets her; she’s proven herself as his emissary more than once tonight so he’ll trust her.

“What do you want, Alpha Ennis?” Lydia asks, tone just shy of being rude as Ennis stops in the middle of the room. His slave’s knees clanking together as he stops crawling from the dinner room.

Ennis stares at her for a few seconds before turning to Derek and answering, “Alliance. The Hale name still carries weight and after the fuck-all we’ve seen, my pack wants a guarantee we won’t be attacked as some kind of power play.” 

Derek knows Lydia must be confused but she keeps her face blank. He doesn’t know where she’s been learning werewolf politics but packs stopped entering into alliances since before the lightbulb was invented. 

An alliance means the pack will have to house any of Ennis’ pack, no matter the reason. It also means that if Ennis gets in a pack war, all members of the pack will have to fight too. If they refuse, Ennis will have first rights of the pack’s slaves and the option to slaughter the pack.

Talia didn’t have any alliances. But maybe if she did, Laura could have found sanctuary somewhere for her, Derek and Peter. Maybe the Argents could have been stopped. Alliance is a two-way street; the pack would have access to Ennis’ resources if something happened.

“What do you have to offer?” Derek asks. “You’ll earn my name but what am I to gain?”

Ennis is quiet for a second before he laughs big and loud. “You’ve already seen my gift,” he says shaking the leash attached to the slave boy’s collar. Lydia’s sharp gasps cuts into the room but Ennis continues uninterrupted. “And don’t think I haven’t seen the way your betas keeps staring.

“You’ve got a strong pack here, Derek,” he says. “And this is trained well,” he says with another shake of the leash, “Doesn’t gag, doesn’t talk back. Even born in Beacon Hills.”

Derek doesn’t know how to react. He knows alphas give, trade and sell slaves but he’s always thought it crude to treat a person like that. Didn’t know his mother was that kind of alpha either. “How? How is he from here?”

Ennis squints a little but he answers. “Your mother gave it to me when we were here. Took four days to get the other wolf to understand the trade. A little dense that wolf was.”

 _Laura,_ Derek realizes. Ennis means when Laura sat in on the negotiations all those years ago. It took four days for Laura to cave to his mother selling one of her citizens. 

“No,” Lydia’s harsh statement cuts into his thoughts as she walks toward Ennis. Her arms are straight down, fingers deadly still. Derek’s never seen her like this. “We need a better offer. You’re giving us one more mouth to fed. We don’t even know if he’s worth aligning with you.”

Ennis smirks and throws the leash towards Lydia. “He’s worth it alright. Slave,” he barks at the boy without breaking eye contact with Lydia. “Prove yourself.”

The boy crawls to Lydia, knees scraping on the thick carpet. When he reaches her, he starts to lift her dress only to have Lydia shriek and slap him away. The motion must surprise the boy because he falls face down onto the floor and doesn’t move.

Derek realizes he was holding his breath only when the slave exhales lightly. He sees a flash of guilt fly across Lydia’s face when the boy stays on the ground and Derek understands just a tiny bit of “training” the teen must have survived in order to live owned by Ennis.

Ennis himself doesn’t seem to have a reaction for the scene. He merely shrugs and looks back at Derek. “Women,” he scoffs. “Do we have a deal?”

Derek knows he should say no, knows something isn’t right. But he can’t send that boy back with Ennis. He doesn’t think the slave will live if he “failed” to seal a deal. The only question is how his pack will handle having another slave in the house.

Harsh whispers are muffled as a loud bang reverberates through the house as someone is tackled to the floor upstairs. Derek can feel Jackson trying to shake off Erica and that’s as much an answer as Derek needs.

“An allegiance with me,” Derek says, “not the pack, but with me.”

It’s the best he can offer. It’ll protect the betas from having to enter a pack war and save them from being forced to obey Ennis. Stiles will still be vulnerable since he’s Derek slave but Derek will think of something to protect him.

Ennis’ answering grin sends a shiver down Derek’s spine, making him feel like he’s made a deal with the devil. But he doesn’t have time to change his mind since Ennis is standing in front of him tilting Derek’s head up and to the right.

The flash of grey-white is all the warning Derek gets before fangs are slicing into the muscles on his neck. There’s a sharp pain and Derek knows he won’t heal fully for at least a day. 

He sees Lydia’s eyes widen before she’s moving to the desk, grabbing something. Derek doesn’t react to her though, he just drops his fangs and returns the bite, chomping into the left side of Ennis’s neck, into the tendons connected to Ennis’ shoulder. The meaty flesh renders easily, blood pouring into Derek’s mouth.

It’s bitter and harsh, so different tasting than when Derek turned his betas.

When Ennis steps back, Derek can feel his blood still flowing down his chest, staining his shirt. Ennis has a matching mark though, proof of their bond. 

“Allegiance,” Ennis says, eyes flashing red once before he’s leaving the study.

Derek turns to follow, determined to make sure Ennis isn’t going to try to bite any of Derek’s betas. He knows he should stay with Lydia and the slave - his new slave that he doesn’t even know the name of - but she isn’t moving and the slave has started crying. He doesn’t want to deal with that, doesn’t want to leave Ennis unguarded.

Derek catches up with Ennis as he’s walking off the back porch.

“Bye, brother,” is all Ennis says before he’s shifting to a beta form and running off into the woods.

Derek doesn’t follow, just focuses on the connection all alphas have with their land, letting his instincts track as Ennis runs North.

He can feel the pack gathering in the house, senses them staring at his back through the open doorway but he won’t turn until he feels Ennis leave the territory. And even then, Derek gives himself a moment of quiet before the inevitable questions.

“What have I done?” Derek says quietly to the trees.

He startles when soft arms wrap around his waist. “You’ve done good,” Stiles whispers into his ears, his body pressed tight against Derek’s back. “You’ve done good.”

They stay outside for the rest of night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Thank you to everyone who's read, commented and kudos'ed. It really means a lot to me.
> 
> This series is going on a short break. Now that plot is happening, I have to actually think about what's going on. hahaha I'll still be writing but I'm gonna branch away from Sterek for a bit. Flex my writing muscles a little.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Comment Fic - Stiles tops Derek](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4929061) by [itendswithz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itendswithz/pseuds/itendswithz)




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